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First Meetup of the year – January 11, 2025
January 11, 2025 @ 9:00 am – 11:45 am
Before our scheduled strum time, Ellen will be teaching us the Carter Scratch. This is a guitar technique named after Maybelle Carter of the Carter Family that we will apply to our Low G-stringed ukuleles. Many of our American Folk Songs will utilize this distinctive strum.
At 10 am Ellen will be leading us through a few decades of AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC, the music of the PEOPLE. This is a broad category of music including bluegrass, gospel, old timey, jug band, Appalachian folk, blues, and labor/protest songs. It was a new kind of music, originating in North America. We will take a musical roots journey from the 1920’s to the 2020’s!
All the songs are in PDF form so there is no need to bring either the blue or yellow books. The PDF will be posted at the top of our FB page and our website, or you can email Gene for a copy.
1. 1924, Deep River Blues
2. 1929 I’ll Fly Away
3. 1940, Union Maid
4. 1941 Hard Travelin
5. 1954 San Francisco Bay Blues
6. 1962, Little Boxes
7. 1963, Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
8. 1927, 1963 Single Girl Medley
9. 1965 Mr. Tambourine Man
10. 1965 Piney Wood Hills
11. 2020 Hold Each Other Up
9 AM to 9:45 AM – This time slot will be for a new format. We will be forming smaller ensembles and rehearsing individual performance songs. We will also, from time to time, present more in-depth instructional presentations. These will be strictly musical in nature and formed around a deeper understanding of some of the more interesting aspects of music and composition.
9:45 AM to 10:00 AM -Breaktime, and a chance to mingle and share snacks and refreshments.
10:00 to 11:15 AM – This will be our classic strum session, performing a list of songs chosen by our guest leader.
11:15 AM to 11:30 – Second Breaktime.
11:30 AM to 12:00 Individual performance time! I really hope we can get many people to sign up. I would love to see some of our new Strummers stretch their wings. Then we need to pack up and exit the building before Noon.
Disclaimers:
Masks are no longer mandatory, however, if you feel more comfortable wearing one, please do.
It is very important to the church that we have completely exited the building and cleaned up behind us before the next group arrives. So, depending on the number of performance signups, we may or may not get to all of them. Any member who signs up but does not get to perform will be moved to the top of the list for the next meeting.
Any member who wishes to be a guest presenter/teacher needs to contact me the week before the meeting, let me know what you plan to present and provide me early copies of any material you will be handing out.
As there are only a few music stands readily available to us, if you have a music stand, please bring it with you.